Of Monsters and Men
by BluesNavi
Summary: Friends. Lovers. The ones precious to you. How do you keep them safe from yourself? Krory doesn't quite know.


Despite his rich upbringing, Arystar Krory III thought himself to be a simple man with simple tastes. The castle he once lived in had been filled to the brim with junk, but he had never felt connected or comforted by it. No, simplicity was beauty, and his new room in the relocated Black Order reflected this. The bedframe was plain, the sheets crisp and white, peeking out from beneath a dark blue blanket. There was a table off to the side of the room, a small cushioned chair beside it, and a window on the neighboring wall, with a nice view over the trees.

The only real addition to the room, the real personality, was a new touch he'd only added after getting here. Supposedly Kanda had a lotus blooming in his room, and Krory had liked the idea of a meaningful flower. Hence the full red rose in its glass vase, sitting on his table. The rose made him think of things he treasured, and things he'd lost. Eliade was never far from his mind, and the presence of the flower made him feel just a bit closer to her memory.

He stood in front of the table, every so often reaching out to shift the rose, searching for a perfect position in the late afternoon light. It had been nearly twenty minutes of this when he heard a knock at the door. Startled, he straightened up and called, "Yes? Who's there?"

"It's me," came the reply. Despite the muffled voice, Krory recognized it immediately.

"Allen?"

"Yeah."

Krory wondered why Allen was here. It was nearly five o' clock, and they typically met in the cafeteria, where Allen would demolish a small mountain of food and they would chat with the rest of their group. Why was he here so early? In any case, Krory walked over to the door and pulled it open.

The white haired boy was standing just outside, clad in his exorcist uniform, with dried mud on his boots and hair windswept. There was a weariness about his stance that implied he'd just gotten back from a mission. At the other's appearance, however, he straightened his back and slapped on a big smile.

"Hi, Krory!" he chirped.

"Hello to you as well," said Krory, smiling back. "Did you need something?"

"U-um, yeah. I wanted to ask for some advice, actually," said Allen, scratching a bit at his left hand in nervousness. "I hope it's not too much…"

"Oh, it's no problem at all! Come on in!" said Krory, stepping to the side.

It probably showed, but Krory was thrilled. Allen and Lavi had been his first friends at the Order, and even now they were still some of his closest comrades. He had depended on them for a long while, and was ecstatic at the idea of repaying their kindness. If his knowledge could be of some help, he'd be glad to give it. Allen chuckled a little at his enthusiasm and walked in. He settled himself gingerly on the edge of the chair, as if afraid to sit back in it. Krory, meanwhile, hovered by the door, glancing out into the hallway. After a few moments of confusion, he asked, hesitantly, "Uh… where's Inspector Link? Isn't he still assigned to you?"

Allen's smile took on a little semblance of guilt.

"He needed to use the bathroom, and I slipped away. I… I wanted to talk in private, if that's okay."

In private? That explained why he wasn't waiting until dinner. But to risk the Inspector's anger and punishment from Central over a little talk was rather foolhardy.

"It's all right. I just don't want you getting into any trouble on my account," said Krory, shutting the door softly.

He walked over and sat on his bed to face Allen, and noticed that Timcanpy was conspicuously missing. The gold golem had stuck to Allen like glue since the disappearance of General Cross. To see it gone was a little unsettling, and Krory wondered what Allen wanted to talk about. Was it something embarrassing he didn't want Tim to record? Was it something about love? Krory's experience may not have been typical or ideal, but he knew that he had truly loved Eliade, and perhaps the atypical was exactly what Allen was looking for. He felt his eyes drawn to the rose for a moment before refocusing.

"What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Allen sighed, looking down at the floor for a while, as if trying to figure out how to say it.

"It's… well…" he made a frustrated sound and scratched at his head before continuing, "There's this problem, and I don't actually have it yet, but I think I will, and I don't know how to handle it. You know the whole Fourteenth thing?"

"Yes," said Krory, because who didn't know about that these days? It was the reason most of the Order was frightened and an Inspector was trailing him around, after all.

"I talked with Cross about it. Before he… disappeared and all. He said the memory that was implanted in me will gradually take over, and I'll become the Fourteenth. And that's what Komui told everyone, but Cross also told me something else. He said when I become the Fourteenth, I'll have to kill someone I care about," Allen said quietly.

Kill someone? Allen had taken bullets for his friends many times, and had always put the others before himself. Krory just couldn't see him hurting any of the people in the Order. But then he would be the Fourteenth, not Allen, wouldn't he? A feeling of hopelessness rose in his chest.

"Do you know who?" Krory asked tentatively.

Allen shook his head, eyes still downcast.

"No, I don't. Master didn't say any more. But I don't want that. I really, really, don't want to do that."

"I don't understand," Krory said softly. "That's something I have no control over. What kind of advice can I possibly give you?"

Now Allen looked up and met his eyes. There was still a gloom over him, but his eyes shone with determination.

"I want to know how to fight it," he said.

"Fight it?" Krory echoed.

"In the Ark, when I was relying on the Fourteenth's memories, I felt it in my head. Felt or heard it, anyway… and my hands moved on their own. For a while there I couldn't stop myself. It was kind of like Innocence, then. You're a parasitic type, so you know what I mean, when the Innocence decides it's going to do something and you're powerless to stop it."

The memory of kidnapped villagers, reduced to dust or shoved in little coffins came to mind. Krory knew that feeling well.

"So I want to know how you did it," said Allen. "How you were strong enough to resist your Innocence when it told you to kill Eliade."

That was another pang to the chest.

"I-I, er, well, that was with Innocence. I'm really not sure..." Krory muttered, fidgeting.

"Please," said Allen.

Krory forced himself to calm down and took a deep breath. Allen was asking for his help. This was a way he could help. He could do this. He looked over at the rose again and had to swallow a lump in his throat.

"Well… I loved her."

Allen nodded slightly, he could see it out of the corner of his eye.

"I was going to kill her, that first time I met her," Krory mumbled. "The Innocence was sending me out after Akuma, and it made me angry and stupid. I had attacked her, but then… I saw her face. And she looked so human, so beautifully human. When I saw that my mind came back, and I forced myself to stop. It was like… to attack her was like poison. It would've killed me. I kept telling myself that whenever my Innocence tried to act up around her. I thought about how precious she was to me, how kind she had been. When I clung to that, it became easier to bear, but even then I had to fight the instinct with all I had. So I suppose, in the end, it was sheer willpower that kept her safe so long."

"Willpower?" Allen repeated.

"Yes," said Krory, looking back at him with a sad smile. "You should never underestimate force of will. I told the Innocence that I wouldn't harm her, and I didn't. I don't really know how else to explain it."

"I… I think I understand," said Allen. "You forced it to bend to your will?"

"Or at least changed its course," said Krory, nodding.

Allen nodded again, and looked back down to the floor. Krory wasn't sure if he was going to ask anything else, and stayed quiet just in case. But his worry grew when he saw the smile fade from Allen's face. The new expression wasn't neutral, either. It looked forlorn.

"Allen…"

"I don't know what to do, Krory." Allen had never sounded so horribly sad in all the time Krory had known him. "I just… I don't know. I don't want to kill anyone. I don't know how to do this. I'm afraid of what I might do, if I lose control. I don't want to lose my friends… I'm afraid…"

His voice wavered at the end, and with that last word, it was as if his mask had cracked. His shoulders shook, and he rested his forehead on his knees, arms wrapped around himself. There was no sound, just the trembling, and it made Krory uncomfortably aware of a fact most people overlooked.

Allen was only sixteen.

Usually he acted with such maturity, and that coupled with his white hair caused others to think he was much older than he really was. But now the image of a successful exorcist, the role model of sorts Krory had looked up to, the soldier who went to hell and back to help people he barely knew, the forever-smiling support, had been stripped away, and all that was left was a frightened child. An orphan whose world was turning on him for something he had no control over. Krory got off of the bed and knelt in front of the chair, reaching out a hand for the boy's shoulder.

"Allen, are you…"

Allen sat bolt upright. He took in a big shuddering breath, and forced a smile onto his face.

"I'm fine. Sorry to worry you like that, I don't know what came over me," he said, falsely bright, but Krory had seen the emotion under that mask now.

"Allen, no man is invincible. You don't have to pretend you are." Allen's smile nearly faltered, and Krory continued, quickly, "Neither is the Fourteenth."

"What…"

"He's dead, isn't he? That's proof enough he can be beaten."

"By the Earl," Allen said sulkily.

"But still beaten."

Allen just sat there for a while to let that sink in, and finally muttered, "Thanks, Krory."

"No problem," said the older exorcist. "Are you really going to be all right?"

"Sure will," said Allen, standing up. "It's about dinner time. Want to walk to the cafeteria together?"

"That sounds great!" said Krory, standing as well.

"Good, because I'm starving!" Allen laughed.

They walked over to the door. Allen wandered a bit out into the hall and greeted Timcanpy as the golem zoomed around the corner. Timcanpy busied itself with making a nest out of its master's hair, and Krory couldn't resist a laugh. He paused, though, just before shutting the door behind him. After a little hesitation, he said, "Um…"

"Hm?" said Allen, looking back at him.

"I… I just wanted to say… even if you do become the Fourteenth, no matter what happens you will still be one of my dearest friends," said Krory.

Allen looked surprised, but gradually, his expression melted back into the usual smile. Always that smile.

"Really, Krory… thank you."

But the smile didn't reach his eyes, and Krory knew the boy didn't believe him.

* * *

Had a conversation with someone that involved Krory, and it got me thinking. He's like the adult of the main group, so I imagine he'd be the one Allen might (possibly) got to for advice on something. But Allen probably wouldn't ask for help with anything unless he felt like he couldn't take the burden, so this came to mind. How to resist the urge to kill the ones you hold most dear? Krory knows that feeling. I love Krory, I hope I didn't butcher him in this oneshot! And to those waiting for the next chapter of The Man in the Mirror, I'm working on it! Sorry it's taking so long!


End file.
